Vale Melbourne Cup-Winning Trainer Michael Moroney

[Wandering Eyes]

By Kristen Manning/TTR AusNZ

Australian racing is in mourning with the loss on Thursday of Michael Moroney, known not only as an outstanding trainer but as a loving and supportive family man who never took a day of his racing life for granted. He was 66.

Moroney's grandparents bred a winner of the G1 Melbourne Cup in Hi Jinx (NZ) (Pride Of Kildare {Ire}), the race's 100th winner when saluting at big odds in 1960. Moroney's famous silks–the pale blue, black and red colours–were those of his grandparents, although his own Cup winner, Brew (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) in 2000, wore a different coloured cap.

The stable's other runner Second Coming (NZ) (Oak Ridge {Fr}), who gave a great sight boxing on gamely for third after hitting the lead early, had the red cap on–and Brew's black cap story is part of Michael Moroney legend.

It was in 1996 that Michael awoke to tell his wife that, “I just dreamt that I won the Melbourne Cup by two lengths with Brew as number 24– wearing our colours except with a black cap.”

It was an amazing dream of foresight, all the more so considering that Brew was not a member of the Moroney stable at the time. The horse was then just two, trained by Paul O'Sullivan whose father Dave shaped Moroney's career as his first boss. At track work one morning O'Sullivan mentioned to Moroney that Brew had been sold to Singapore but within a few hours he discovered that the sale had fallen through.

“I got straight onto the phone, had him vetted, and we bought him the next day,” said Moroney, having the son of the great O'Sullivan-trained mare Horlicks (NZ) (Three Legs {GB}) gelded straight away.

Moroney's dream didn't eventuate immediately, with Brew running out of the placings when contesting the 1999 Melbourne Cup, but the more mature horse was in great form 12 months down the track, on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup winning the G2 SAAB Quality on the back of a G2 Moonee Valley Cup second.

The final qualifier into the field, he had the number 24 saddlecloth and with Kerrin McEvoy aboard Brew won by the same margin Michael had dreamed of.

“It was life-changing,” Moroney always said off his Cup win which ended up being one of the 55 Group 1 wins trained out of Ballymore Stables. He cheered home his final stakes winner just last weekend with Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir {Aus}) recording a four-length victory in last Saturday's G3 Mannerism Stakes at Caulfield.

Moroney's co-trainer Glen Thompson and racing manager Anthony Feroce plan to keep things rolling along, though there will of course be a huge gap in the lives of his staff, his partner Karen and his family including daughter Aleisha and his grandchildren.

“Michael was just a wonderful bloke, a great human being,” said Feroce, who has been part of the Ballymore team since 2001.

“He was always so calm, so relaxed; even when things went wrong. He loved people's company, loved passing on his experiences with his horses and his travels. He was a very proud dad and grandfather and nobody has ever had a bad word to say about him.

“He was a loveable big teddy!”

The post Vale Melbourne Cup-Winning Trainer Michael Moroney appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article